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United States Kelly Claes, an accomplished beach volleyball player, has achieved national and international recognition through consistent performance and championship titles. Her career demonstrates dedication and strategic partnerships, making her an influential figure in professional beach volleyball.
Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes formed a significant and successful partnership in beach volleyball. They started playing together in youth tournaments, achieving notable success at both the U19 and U21 World Championships. Their collaboration continued strong into their collegiate careers at USC, where they won consecutive NCAA Championships. As professionals, they won their first AVP Gold Series Championships in 2017 as the youngest team to do so. After a period with different partners, they reunited in late 2022, leading to a World Championship title in 2023 and a 5th-place finish at the Paris Olympics.
Kelly Claes (then Cheng) partnered with Betsi Flint for tournaments, including AVP and Olympic qualification events. Their partnership aimed for success on both the domestic American circuit and the international stage.
Kelly Claes teamed up with Sarah Sponcil, forming 'Team Slaes', a partnership that successfully qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. They achieved a silver medal at the 2019 FIVB four-star event in The Hague and secured gold medals in Sochi and Ostrava, showcasing a young and dynamic team.
Kelly Marie Claes, born on September 18, 1995, in Fullerton, California, commenced her volleyball journey at El Dorado High School in Placentia. During her high school career, she earned All-CIF Division 1A and Orange County Register All-Orange County first team honors. Her early achievements on the sand courts were notable, securing a bronze medal at the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships and a silver medal at the 2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships, both alongside her long-time partner Sara Hughes. These foundational experiences laid the groundwork for her collegiate and professional pursuits.
Claes continued her development at the University of Southern California (USC), initially partnering with Alexa Strange in 2014. In her sophomore year, she reunited with Sara Hughes, a partnership that yielded significant collegiate success. Together, they clinched the AVCA Pairs National Championship. Their dominance in NCAA Beach Volleyball led the USC Trojans to back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2016 and 2017. During this period, Claes was recognized with the inaugural Pac-12 Player of the Year award, Pac-12 Pair of the Year, and the Pac-12 Pairs Championship in 2016. She completed her academic career at USC in 2017, earning a degree in sociology.
Transitioning to her professional career in 2017, Claes quickly made an impact, winning her first AVP Gold Series Championships in Chicago with Sara Hughes, making them the youngest team to achieve this feat. After a temporary split from Hughes in early 2018, Claes formed a partnership with Sarah Sponcil. This new duo earned a silver medal at the 2019 FIVB four-star event in The Hague and successfully qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where they placed 9th, after securing gold medals in Sochi and Ostrava. In late 2022, she reunited with Sara Hughes (now Kelly Cheng) and they achieved top rankings globally, winning the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships and finishing 5th at the Paris Olympics.
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